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Skeat, Walter William, 1835-1912

"English Dialects From the Eighth Century to the Present Day"

There is an excellent article
on this subject by Arnold Wall, entitled "A Contribution towards the
Study of the Scandinavian element in the English Dialects," printed
in the German periodical entitled _Anglia, Neue Folge_, Band VIII,
1897.
I now give a list, a mere selection, of some of the more remarkable
words of Scandinavian origin that are known to our dialects. For their
various uses and localities, see the _English Dialect Dictionary_; and
for their etymologies, see my Index to Cleasby and Vigfusson. Many of
these words are well approved and forcible, and may perhaps be
employed hereafter to reinforce our literary language.
_Addle_, to earn; _and_ (in Barbour, _aynd_) sb., breath; _arder_,
a ploughing; _arr_, a scar; _arval_, a funeral repast; _aund_, fated,
destined; _bain_, ready, convenient; _bairns' lakings_, children's
playthings; _beck_, a stream; _big_, to build; _bigg_, barley; _bing_,
a heap; _birr_, impetus; _blaeberry_, a bilberry; _blather_,
_blether_, empty noisy talk; _bouk_, the trunk of the body; _boun_,
ready; _braid_, to resemble, to take after; _brandreth_, an iron
framework over a fire; _brant_, steep; _bro_, a foot-bridge with a
single rail; _bule_, _bool_, the curved handle of a bucket; _busk_,
to prepare oneself, dress; _caller_, fresh, said of fish, etc.


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